As we noted earlier in part 1, many Chicago professionals are choosing to live in the neighborhoods right outside of the Loop. From bankers, doctors, dentists, to attorneys, many have decided to save time and money on their commutes to downtown Chicago and some have relinquished car ownership in exchange for the lively and upbeat lifestyle of living in the heart of Chicago.

Optima Signature Amenity Floor

In part 1, we discussed the River North neighborhood and its many benefits. A couple blocks east of River North is Streeterville. Streeterville has many high-rise apartments and condos and is home to many healthcare related institutions such as Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC), Prentice Women’s Hospital, and Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the Feinberg School of Medicine. Streeterville is also home to the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and the Kellogg School of Management.

In addition to the intellectual power in Streeterville, there is easy access to the Ohio and Oak Street beaches and the Lakeshore Trail which residents and tourists use to walk, run, and bike on. Streeterville’s ease of access to downtown Chicago is another reason this area continues to grow. As of the writing of this article, there are 3 residential high-rise buildings under construction and 3 recently completed apartments.

Optima Signature Amenity Floor

Specifically, the 3 Streeterville apartments that were recently completed are Moment, Lofts at River East, and North Water Apartments. These apartments are full amenity buildings, meaning they each have a gym, a pool, a terrace or lounge area, and a doorman. We included some of the pictures from these buildings on this page.

The 2 Streeterville apartments and 1 condo building which are currently under construction are 465 N Park, Optima 2, and One Bennett Park (condo). All of which are in prime locations and have luxury features. We include pictures of some of these wonderful apartments on this page.

All of the Streeterville luxury apartment buildings mentioned would be a worthy consideration when making a decision to move to the downtown Chicago area. It is worth noting that there are many more in addition to these mentioned, so if you want to live in Streeverville, there are plenty of options.

Many Chicago professionals are choosing to live in the neighborhoods right outside of the Loop. For all of the Chicago newcomer readers, this is also known as the downtown area. Many bankers, brokers, portfolio managers, lawyers, engineers, executives, doctors, dentists, and other medical professionals have decided to save time and money on their commutes to downtown Chicago (some have relinquished car ownership) in exchange for the lively and upbeat lifestyle of living in the heart of Chicago.

3Eleven River North Chicago

By heart of Chicago, we do not necessarily mean downtown Chicago (the Loop), we mean just right outside of it. Specifically, the River North, Streeterville, West Loop, and South Loop neighborhoods which are considered first layer of neighborhoods right outside the downtown Chicago central business district. It’s these neighborhoods that hold some of the most exciting and desirable restaurants & bars, walk / jogging trails, parks, and thriving nightlife.

The continued influx of professionals moving into the city has created significant investment in living spaces, with the majority of the construction being luxury apartments. To be sure, as of April 5th, 2017 there are seven new high-rise luxury apartment buildings under construction in the River North neighborhood alone. Below we name a few of the many interesting projects.

Although a name for it has not been released at the time of writing, the pictured development is an office and residential combo which will include 193 apartment units and many amenities including a rooftop pool.

If you are into modern sleek design, then 3Eleven will work just fine. This 24-story tower will have 245-unit with floor-to-ceiling windows. Amenities include rooftop level fitness center, outdoor terrace, and swimming pool. You are in luck if you are Catholic, as there is a church right next door! The exterior is pictured below.

640 N Wells River North Chicago

Gallery on Wells

The final two we will mention are the Gallery and 640 N Wells, which are located adjacent to each other. Both are stunning buildings, but are great buildings but are very different on the exterior. 640 N Wells is a very modern design using lots of glass and interesting angles while the Gallery has a modern feel but uses a lot of brick on the exterior and has beautiful balconies.

Living in River North is fantastic, but don’t forget another fantastic neighborhood just a few blocks away. Click Part 2 to read about the Streeterville neighborhood, which is also located outside of downtown Chicago and just east of River North.

You are a healthcare / medical professional under the employ of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC), but you’re new to downtown Chicago. Where should you live?

Moving to a brand new city can be tough, especially if this brand new city is as large as Chicago. What also makes it tougher is having a short amount of time to find a place to live that works with your current lifestyle and is not far from your workplace.

Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) is located on 345 East Superior Street, Chicago, IL 60611, within the beautiful Streeterville neighborhood located in downtown Chicago. Given the close proximity to RIC, Streeterville is clearly one of the top neighborhoods to live in if you are a healthcare / medical professional working at the hospital. Another neighborhood in close proximity would be Gold Coast or Lakeshore East. Yet another that is a fantastic place to live as a young single person would be River North. Although each of these neighborhoods is a great choice, each has its unique characteristics as we describe in further detail below.

All neighborhoods mentioned above (Streeterville, Gold Coast, River North, and Lakeshore East) all have these characteristics:

Walking distance to RIC and Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

Located in downtown Chicago near Lake Michigan, Navy Pier and the Magnificent Mile.

Great jogging routes up / down Lakeshore Drive with spectacular views of the lake.

Very few people are familiar with Wanda Group and that’s no surprise given they are based in Beijing, China. Well… have you ever heard of AMC Theatres? That is one of Wanda Group’s recent acquisitions. Interesting isn’t it?

To catch you up to speed, Wanda Group is a privately held conglomerate that operates in the hospitality, cinema, retailing, property development and karaoke establishments industries. Yes, I did say karaoke establishments. It’s founder is Wang Jianlin, who – according to the Hurun Report – has a net worth of $25 Billion. Jianlin founded Wanda Group in 1988 and has grown it to a $30.8 Billion revenue conglomerate with $2.1 Billion in net income in 2013.

As of July 2014 Wanda Group owned 88 Wanda Plazas, 55 five-star hotels, 1,247 cinema screens, 78 department stores, and 84 karaoke centers throughout China and invests in major central business districts (CBD) around the world such as London, Madrid and now Chicago.

Wanda Group Chicago project view from the Columbus Street Bridge looking east down the Chicago River.

The $900 Million Chicago Hotel / Condominium / Apartment Development
The Chicago project is Wanda Group’s first investment into the United States real market. According to Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel, after looking at space in New York City and Los Angeles, Wanda Group chose Chicago.

Wanda Group Chicago project looking unto Lakeshore East Park.

This new Wanda project will be designed by Jeanne Gang, the same architect who designed the Aqua tower, which is less than a 5-minute walk away from the site of the new project. The Wanda project will have three towers with the highest tower reaching 89-stories, making it the third tallest building in Chicago behind the Willis Tower and the Trump International Hotel.

The building will include a hotel on the lower levels and apartments and condominiums on the upper levels. The location of this new project will be near the end of East Upper Wacker Dr on the Chicago River near its opening to Lake Michigan and Navy Pier. With this project being a 5-star hotel and given that hotel and permanent residences mix, we expect that residents will receive 5-star service as an option.

Wanda Group Chicago project dining area rendering facing north with a view of Navy Pier and the Chicago River.

Wanda Group’s Prior Projects
Wanda Group’s most recent projects include the One Nine Elm in London right on the River Thames. One Nine Elms is a proposed mixed-used development with 1.13 Million square feet of prime residential, commercial and retail space in central London.

The project was announced in June 2013 and is expected to be completed in late 2018 with various towers. The development is comprised of the City Tower and River Tower and represents Wanda Group’s Benchmark for luxurious living. One Nine Elm will be comprised of 439 luxurious apartments and Wanda’s 5-star Vista hotel. Within the City Tower, Wanda plans to set its benchmark for luxury with the development of luscious one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments with luxurious interiors designed by United Design Partnership and each enjoying panoramic views of the London skyline. We believe a similar attention to detail will be applied to the Chicago project.

Wanda Group One Nine Elm development in London.

Below is a gallery related to Wanda Group Chicago project and One Nine Elm London project.

Where should a Northwestern Memorial Hospital resident live? Here’s the short answer.
You have just been accepted as a resident at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Among other things, you need to find an apartment which is convenient, relatively affordable and not far from the hospital.

The short answer is the Streeterville or Gold Coast neighborhoods. The greatest reason for choosing these neighborhoods is largely due to their close proximity to Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the high number of grocery stores within walking distance. Additionally, there are great apartment options for someone with a tight budget or someone who has an appreciation for luxury.

To be more specific on the housing options, a studio or a one bedroom can be found for as little as $1,400 and $1,600 a month (not including parking), respectively. Parking typically ranges anywhere from $150 a month to as high as $400 a month. On the high end, there are one bedroom and two bedroom units available for $2,600 and $4,000.

The majority of the high-rise apartment buildings include amenities such as a gym, spa, pool and common library and party rooms. Typically the higher the rental rate high-rise apartment buildings will include other amenities such as a dry steam sauna and a wet steam sauna, new gym equipment, a concierge service or a golf simulator. Some high-rise apartment buildings even have a full-sized Olympic swimming pool or indoor tennis courts.

In summary, we believe the best neighborhoods for a Northwestern Memorial Hospital resident are either Streeterville or Gold Coast. There is certainly no shortage of high-rise apartment complexes to choose from in these neighborhoods. Which prompts us to note there is no reason to use a professional luxury rental broker as his or her services are paid for by the apartment building. If you choose to use a rental broker, see our article on the qualities which make for a good rental / real estate broker.